Mr. Chamberlain addressed a number of his Unionist con- stituents,—Liberal
Unionist and Conservative alike,—in his own house at Highbnry this day week. He had, for the first time, invited Coniervatives to be present, as a pledge of the hearty co-operation which he hoped to see established between the Liberal Unionist and the Conservative Party in Birming- ham, a co-operation for which he thought that there would be need for a long time to come. He remarked on the disin- tegration of the Liberal Party, which is all at sixes and sevens, "the leader of yesterday being tripped up by the leader of to- day, and the leader of to-day expecting to be tripped up by the leader of to-morrow, who is waiting round the corner for him." On the other hand, the Conservatives and Liberal Unionists are acting in hearty concord with each other, and Mr. Chamberlain could answer for it that the leaders of the two parties are fully agreed as to the Irish policy of next Session, as well with regard to the Land scheme which is to create a number of peasant-proprietors, as to the Local Government scheme which is to place Ireland " practically, at all events, in the position of England and of Scotland." We confess that that last announcement inspires us with some alarm. We hope that no Local Government Bill for Ireland will be passed without having been criticised and approved by representative Unionists in the South of Ireland.
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